-25-
Esmond and Sansa walked in silence through the forest. Sansa found this part of the land to be beautiful. In-between during her travels, there had been nothing but flat, and dry earth. But now the ground was rich and vibrant. The trees seemed to be bigger- fuller than she had ever seen. They were not as tall as the ones she knew when growing up, but their short stature made up for it in sure sturdiness as she took in the huge trunks.
"It's beautiful," she whispered.
Slowly Sansa touched one of the trees, feeling how smooth the bark was.
Esmond smiled at her reaction.
"I'm guessing you are more...south?"
"Southeast you could say? Maybe west..." Sansa paused to think before shrugging, "I don't know anymore. This is the furthest North I have been."
Slowly Esmond moved to stand next to her, taking it in also.
"I've never been outside of the pack much," he admitted.
"You should travel," Sansa said, "It will show you more of the world and the way life can be lived."
Esmond sighed, "Many packs will accept others into their borders but they are wary when it comes to another...alpha..."
Sansa and Esmond stood in silence before he broke it saying, "I'm sorry about Lunch. I knew it would be like that but didn't know how to warn you."
"Like what?"
Esmond cleared his throat.
"Uh...well just from how the other pack members saw it...to them, it looked as if their future alpha brought a female back to his room in the middle of the night and didn't come out until..." Esmond stopped and slowly raised an eyebrow, waiting several seconds before a slow realization came over Sansa.
"That's..." Sansa suddenly burst out laughing. Her reaction caught Esmond off guard, until he joined her, both of them unable to stop themselves.
"Oh no and I cried! What will they think of you now?"
Esmond's laughter suddenly doubled as he sat down, his own tears coming now.
Sansa found herself sinking to sit next to him, both of them using the tree as support.
"That is not how I thought you were going to react," Esmond was barely able to wheeze the sentence out.
"I'm sorry," Sansa still had fits of giggles hitting her.
"Okay," Esmond cleared his throat, another burst of laughter leaving him before he shook his head and stood.
"Okay, sorry, that took me by surprise. Uh...right we were in the middle of finding Epione."
Sansa felt weak after laughing so hard, but the grin stayed on her face as they restarted their walk through the woods.
Halfway through, Esmond stopped and turned to Sansa.
"I don't think I can go any further."
"What?"
Esmond looked forward, his nose rising slightly to take in the air, "She's just up ahead. But you need to go alone. Don't worry, she won't hurt you, and I'll be right here when she's done talking to you."
Sansa looked at Esmond for a few seconds more, before nodding and moving further.
Esmond had to smile at how there was no hesitation in her steps.
Sansa continued forward, slowly making her way deeper into the woods before she came across an old cabin.
A sudden thought hit her of Nova.
Nova and her own solitude of being locked away within the woods.
Sansa walked up to the door and knocked several times. There was no response. Looking through the windows, she saw that no one seemed to be home either.
"Rude of you to peep."
Sansa turned around abruptly at the sudden noise.
A small elderly female stood a distance across from her, staring Sansa down.
"I'm sorry," Sansa immediately apologized, feeling shame wash over her.
Epione came closer, her steps smooth and unshaken.
"I've been expecting you Sansa dear."
Sansa stared in stunned silence while Epione slowly unlocked her door and invited her in.
"A male by the name of Tryton stopped to pay me a visit a few months back."
The familiar name hit Sansa as she stood upon the doorway.
Epione sat down at the table, motioning for Sansa to join her.
Sansa shut the door behind her, taking the chair across from the female.
"He said you would be coming to pay me a visit soon. A healer with a broken heart."
Sansa stared in silent awe as the female reached for a small container and poured each of them a glass of water.
"He was right. And here you are."
"I...did he tell you why I'm here?"
"No. No reason. Just that you would be here. That's for you to tell me."
Sansa took the offered glass, staring down at the water. She took a small sip, trying to give herself some time before answering.
"I'm looking for my mate."
Epione's head tilted to the side, a questioning look coming over her, "but why? You've already found him."
Sansa inhaled sharply, the pain from last night coming back to her.
"No. I haven't."
"Yes," Epione's lips curved down into a slight frown as she argued back, "you have found him."
"He...If I've found him then why isn't he here?" Sansa tried to slowly push down the anger that was coming over her.
Epione stared at her, dark green eyes seizing Sansa in a sudden grip as the woman looked deep into her soul.
"You are saying you don't have a mate? You are saying you've never had one? Never discovered one?"
"I have-,"
"Then don't say you have not found him when that is not true. You have found him- You've just lost him."
"Then...then how do I...where did he go?" Even Sansa could hear the clear desperation in her voice. The breaking plea.
Epione extended her arm out, "Hand. Give me your hand."
Sansa slowly reached out her hand, letting the female snatch it in her grip as she examined the palm. Her fingers traced the lines and outlines of the surface, small mutterings coming out of her every now and then.
"You are destined for healing. Such wonderful healing. Your soul is one of restoration. Pure comfort, pure hope, and peace can be found within you. You are a leader. You have the possibility to create leaders. True wisdom and insight can be found in your mind. But-"
Epione's head slowly rose to stare at Sansa, "you were conceived from darkness. That is what is most intriguing about you. That you were born of hate and lies. Blood, murder, and deceit. And yet you are so pure and loved. Unconditionally loved by another."
"Thank you," Sansa whispered.
"You have a beautiful hand," Epione slowly continued to trace the lines, her eyes going back down to stare at the palm once more. "It is something that I feel honored holding and telling you of."
"But...but my-him." Sansa felt a stabbing pain invade her chest at the mention of him.
Epione lifted her head once more, "remember all the good I have spoken of you, my dear. Your hand was like this before you encountered him."
Sansa stared at the hand that Epione was holding, her mind slowly processing each word.
Epione curved Sansa's fingers, making a fist as her own hands encircled it. "You came seeking legends."
"Yes," Sansa breathed.
She found herself leaning more towards the female, her mind racing to catch any and every word that she would say.
"There is a legend I know of...of another world...of a dark void swallowing you whole and carrying you away. Of death having keepers and these keepers dragging souls to be judged and condemned."
"Is he one of them?" Sansa whispered, her voice growing softer.
"Perhaps. I have never encountered them. The keepers. The guardians. The hell hounds. Slaves to the moon. Many names, but what are they really? I do not know. I cannot tell you what they are, or who they are because I am not connected to the dead in that way."
"How can I find him though?"
"You cannot. Not unless your fates collide in an unexpected way, as I suspected, it did in your first encounter."
Sansa felt it suddenly hit her the pure chance of that encounter. Of the events that had led up to it. All the things that had to happen to start in motion the process of her waiting within the forest, year after year.
"What if...what if he doesn't want to be found?"
It was a thought that had lingered in the back of Sansa's mind. Something she had not dared speak out loud until then, in front of the female.
"Is he your mate?"
Sansa looked up to meet Epione's eyes. Without hesitation, she answered, "Yes."
Epione found herself smiling as she responded, "then he wants to be found."
* * *
Sansa reemerged from the forest, finding Esmond sitting against a tree. His head was leaned back, and eyes closed as the sun's rays filtered to shine upon him.
Before she could announce herself, he was up, standing and brushing aside the dirt from the ground that had collected on his clothes.
"Helpful?"
It took Sansa a moment to realize that he was talking about her encounter with Epione.
"I suppose..." Sansa thought for a second, her mind racing at what had transpired within the cabin. Had it really been helpful? Had she really learned anything?
Everyone seemed to be saying the same thing over and over to her.
He can't be found. He can't be found.
Give up.
A sinister whisper clung to her mind, like a dark cloud upon a clear day.
Give up. And your search will be over.
And then Epione's last words seemed to ring back into her thoughts- loud and true, if he is your mate then he wants to be found.
Esmond was staring intensely at Sansa while she thought. She looked up in time to meet his gaze as he met her own inquisitive stare.
"For some reason...I don't think it really was."
She smiled at him, something close to heartbreak upon her face, stretching soulfully across her eyes. It made Esmond remember the way he had found her.
Where are you injured? And she had done nothing but point to her chest.
"So..." he leaned back against the tree, his gaze searching for something more as he looked down at her. "Do you know where you are going?"
Sansa hesitated. She didn't. Not really. And in that moment as Esmond asked the question to her, she felt a sigh rise from her soul. She wanted nothing more than to just rest. To stay still and in place for something more than a handful of days. She wanted...peace.
He seemed to read this in her because the next words Esmond spoke was a soft reassuring whisper, "you can stay here for as long as you need to. You don't even have to heal if you don't want to."
Sansa looked up at him, something inside her seeming to shatter.
"Please?" she asked.
She watched as Esmond looked away from her, letting his back face her as he began to walk away, "let me show you a cabin you can stay within. It's peaceful there."
Sansa was reminded yet again, of Nova. Of her confinement within the woods. And for some reason, she felt a connection to the female now as she followed Esmond. She wondered if this was the real reason why Nova chose to stay in the peace of silence. To shut out the noise of others. To keep her own thoughts vacant and her soul soothed of any pain the outside world could present.
"It's okay to rest."
Esmond's sudden words startled Sansa back to reality as she looked up to meet his gaze. For the first time, she realized that his eyes seemed almost gold when the sun hit them in the right way.
"I know. I'm a healer." Sansa meant her tone to be joking, but it came across flat.
Esmond's lips twitched as if holding back a smile before he nodded in agreement.
At the same time, both he and Sansa let out a long sigh. The two of them both looked at each other in startled observation before small laughter could be heard between the two of them.
It's been a while. I hope everyone is staying safe and well during this time! ♥ Thank you for being so patient with me
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